


The Journey's End

by Anonymouscosmos



Category: Beyond: Two Souls
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:13:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26359270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anonymouscosmos/pseuds/Anonymouscosmos
Summary: Basically Jodie/Jay's happy ending, with a little more elaboration.
Relationships: Jodie Holmes/Jay
Comments: 2
Kudos: 17





	The Journey's End

**Author's Note:**

> This was a short little work I did a while back after finishing Beyond: Two Souls for the first time. I had somewhat forgotten about it, and then found it again in the depths of my google docs. Here it is, slightly improved and for your brief enjoyment. Guess it's time for a fourth playthrough. Spoiler alert: I'll probably romance Jay again. As a child of the desert...that ending speaks to me the most.

Jodie paused at the end of the long, dusty road. The old Triumph rumbled beneath her, a piece of home brought full circle. The blazing desert sun beat down on the desert about her, creating rippling waves of heat over the surrounding hills... but while sweat trickled down Jodie's neck, dampening her tee shirt, she found only warmth and comfort in it. She was back. Back where she belonged. Her journey was over. 

Paul was the first to greet her, wrapping her up in a giant hug. Then Cory, grinning and all gangly arms and legs. The two fell back when Jay appeared in the doorway, wiping motor oil from his hands with a tattered shop rag. He was the most beautiful sight she'd seen in a long time, and Jodie felt a giant lump in her throat form when she lifted her gaze to meet his. The last she'd seen him, they had shared a kiss - a lingering, intense moment that left Paul pretending sudden interest in the sagebrush. Now, here he was again, tall and lean and baked honey-gold by the sun. Jodie's heart pounded against her chest and her mouth felt dry. "Hey," she said, meaning to sound casual but in truth the word escaped her sounding awkward and strangled.  _ Damn it, Jodie, you've fought monsters but you can't manage a simple hello,  _ she mentally cursed herself. 

Jay's quiet expression broke into a long, slow, languid smile - the kind he seemed to reserve for her alone. He closed the distance between them with just a couple strides, pulled her close, and simply held her to him. He smelled of horses and the red dirt laden with clay; of sweat and churros and warm cotton cloth. Jodie allowed herself, at last, to melt. She folded into his embrace. Her hands rose to the small of his back, feeling the indentations there. She luxuriated in the scent of him, absorbing the warmth of his amber skin. How many times over the passing months had she dreamed of this moment? Yearned for it? They stood there, entangled together, for what felt like eons before finally breaking off. The fear and standoffishness that had been as constant of a companion as Aiden her entire life dissipated. There was no room for it anymore. She was home.

-

  
  


The horizon stretched out infinitely before her, a jagged line of red rock formations, scraggly cedar trees, and sagebrush. Ashki fidgeted under her, pawing at the ground, tossing his head, and being his usual pompous self. Jodie laughed, stroking his neck, murmuring to calm him. She didn't have Aiden to help her cheat her way through horse basics 101 anymore. Life after Aiden had much felt like learning to walk again. His absence changed everything. Each new challenge was an unknown that she must face alone. At first, it had frightened her. She’d felt as though she were missing a vital limb. Then, slowly, she grew to see it as a challenge. One she welcomed. Never before had she been allowed to exercise so much control over her destiny. Jay trotted up beside her on the bright chestnut mare he was breaking in, distracting her from her thoughts. 

"I'll race you to the rocks," he challenged, flashing his white teeth in a grin before taking off like a shot. Ashki let out an indignant little squeal, not to be outdone, and Jodie let him have free rein. Within moments they were at a full-tilt gallop, chasing after Jay. Jodie let her body relax, flowing with the surging motion of Ashki’s powerful muscles. He was nimble, legs eating up the ground before him at incredible speed. Wind whipped through her hair; longer than it had ever been, it streamed out behind her like a banner. Tears pricked at her eyes, and she wasn’t sure if it was from the rushing air stinging them or the pervasive sense of absolute freedom.

Jay had promised her a beautiful campsite, and he made good on that promise. At the base of the incredible rock formations, they set up their campfire and bedding. Jay tethered the horses nearby to graze and rest, and watered them. Jodie unpacked their dinner. Paul had, as always, gone overboard - he had packed them cornbread with honey, prickly pear jam, and fresh butter. There were potatoes, steaks, and cheese. Jodie and Jay ate until they were stuffed and couldn't manage another bite. After dinner, they lay on their blankets and watched the stars come out. One by one they appeared, until the sky was a sea of starlight. Jodie nestled into Jay's side, and he encircled her in his arms. Jodie wanted time to stop, in that moment. For once, she wasn't running from anyone or anything. There was no imminent danger, no Aiden, nothing to worry about. She felt ... _normal_. She was just a young woman gazing at the stars on a clear night.

She felt the softness of Jay’s lips pressing a kiss to the top of her head. 

"I love you," he murmured into her hair. His voice was deeper than its usual resonance. "I dreamed you'd come back. I hoped. I watched for you even when I told myself not to. I'm glad you returned to us. To... me."

Jodie tilted her face up and met his dark eyes, somber and glittering under the stars. She reached out and cupped his face, kissing him gently. 

"This was always where I belonged," she whispered back. He pulled her in tighter, his return kiss deeper and filled with longing. She wound her hands in his hair, pulling him to her with a ferocity that surprised her. His hands skimmed over her body like waterbirds across a lake, never staying anywhere for long - the ripples of warmth from his touch traveling through her like the sweetest music. His lips were like a firebrand on her skin, and she found herself gasping for breath like a woman drowning. He shifted, moved over her, the silhouette of him blotting out the stars above as Jodie wrapped her legs around him. 

They were still entangled when the sun's first rays woke her. Jodie sat up halfway, resting on an elbow, and watched Jay for a moment. His long, dark lashes fluttered as he slept. One arm was outstretched across her waist. He was beautiful, quiescent. Jodie felt as if a great hand had wrapped itself around her heart, squeezing it tightly. She had never felt this way before. Nobody had ever made it past all the barriers she'd thrown up as a means of survival. To trust someone meant to ache from the consequences after.

She gently lifted Jay's arm and wiggled out from under it. Rising, she slid on her tee shirt, jeans, and boots again. Walking softly so as not to wake Jay, she went to greet the horses. Ashki greeted her with a low nicker, butting his head against her and searching her pockets with curious lips for treats. Jodie wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers winding through his mane, and rested her cheek against him.

"Don't tell Jay, but I missed you most," she whispered, her cheek against his warm hide and she stroked the appaloosa.

-

Months passed. The brief rainy season came, and Jodie was in awe at the desert in bloom. Half the plants she'd never even noticed became beatific displays - bright pinks, stark whites, splashes of yellow as though the sun itself had shed droplets of light. The churros spend their days contentedly grazing on the new growth, and Jodie made sure to pick and press some of the brighter flowers.

One night, Jodie had a dream. She was out in the fields, watching over the flock and idly picking wildflowers. The hair prickled on the back of her neck, and she turned around to see a little girl watching her. She had wild brown hair, dark eyes, and was wearing a blue cotton dress. Her bare toes wiggled in the red earth. She smiled shyly at Jodie, showing two small dimples, and held out a handful of flowers. Jodie knelt and took the offered bouquet. 

"Who are you?" she asked, though she felt she should know the answer somehow. Her visitor smiled wider, and reached out a hand to touch Jodie's face. 

"It's okay. Aiden said to tell you everything will be okay. He said don't be afraid."

Jodie woke with a start. She could still feel that warm little hand on her face, wreathed in the scent of wildflowers. 

  
  


When Jodie's body started to become a little softer, a little rounder, and she knew. A four hour drive to civilization, a test taken quickly in a gas station bathroom, and it was confirmed. Jodie was shaking by the time she got home. She went to the bedroom and collapsed on the bed. Jay followed her, his brows knit with concern. 

"Jodie, are you alright? What's happened?" He asked, sitting beside her, stroking her hair as she trembled. 

"I'm.. pregnant," she managed to get out, before breaking down into tears. She sobbed and sobbed, arms clenched tightly to her chest. Jay didn't say a word, just lay down beside her, cradling her against him, and let her cry.

When she finally found her breath, she spoke her fears. 

"What if ... what if it's like me? I don't want a life like that for a child. I spent my entire life afraid, isolated, lonely. When I wasn’t a lab rat, I was running for my life and eating out of trash cans." Jay was quiet for a moment before replying. 

"Jodie, you are  _ special _ . Your mother was special. Your life was complicated, but that is in the past. Aiden is gone. There is no reason for anyone to track you down anymore. You are here, now. With me. You are  _ safe _ . Our child will be safe, no matter what abilities it may be born with." He sat up, smoothing errant strands of hair from Jodie's damp face. "You know this land is sacred, protected. No harm will come to you here." She placed a hand on his chest, felt his comforting heartbeat underneath her palm - calm, steady, as he always was. 

"Promise me," she said. "Promise me if we have this child, it will be okay." 

Jay overlapped her trembling hand with his calloused one, and looked into her eyes. 

"Everything will be okay. I promise."

  
  


-

  
  


Jodie held the tiniest, most fragile thing in her arms she'd ever seen. A small, scrunched face. A tiny nose, a tiny mouth, tiny fingers wrapped around hers. Jodie was in awe. It had been two years since Aiden and she had separated... two long years where, at many times, she had felt lonely, disconnected, missing something desperately important. Two years, and she felt closer to this baby than she had with even Aiden. Jay slept in the chair beside the bed. It had been a very long labor, and Jodie should have been asleep - but the wash of emotion she was experiencing prevented her from resting just yet. She didn't want to close her eyes, didn't want to miss a second of this precious life in her arms. 

"Aiden" she whispered, to the air, to anyone who could hear, "Aiden, look. You're an uncle. Look how beautiful she is, Aiden." It was quiet, only the sounds of Jay and their daughter sleeping broke the otherwise still night. And then a soft breeze, just a rustle of Jodie's hair.  _ He saw, he knew _ .  _ He was proud _ .

Jodie drifted off to sleep, her heart as full as her arms.

-

  
  
  


The house was always full of giggling. Nizhoni never stopped. She was always running full-tilt, always falling down, always giggling even if she'd stubbed her toe. She giggled while pulling Paul's braid, while clinging to Cory's ankle as he dragged her along with him. She giggled while trying to ride the churros, giggled when Ashki lipped at her and his whiskers tickled her. She giggled when it was time to go to bed and Jay had to chase her around like a wild rabbit. She giggled during bath time, when Jodie would put bubbles in her palm and blow them at her. She giggled when the dog licked her face, when little dust devils whirled her dress, when it rained and the raindrops made little  _ tink  _ noises on the tin roof. Jodie had never seen any child so happy in all her life. If there had ever been an embodiment of sunshine, Nizzy was it.

Her hair was wild, unruly, deep brown with just enough wave to it that it stuck out in all directions when above her shoulders. She had Jay's eyes, dark with an ever-present twinkle. Jodie had grown used to seeing those eyes... peering around corners, from under furniture, over hay bales in the barn. She had a smattering of freckles, just like Jodie. There wasn't much doubt who her parents were when looking at her.

Paul doted on her. She was Paul's shadow, trailing him on his chores, telling him made-up wild tales about the horses, the churros, and what wildlife had been spotted. Nizzy would be chattering on and on, sitting on a fence, swinging her chubby legs, and Paul could be seen working diligently but smiling at each punch line. 

If Nizzy had any supernatural proclivities, they had yet to manifest. As far as Jodie could tell, Nizzy was a very typical child in every way. She had been prepared for the worst - and her pregnancy had been spent terrified her daughter would undergo all the fear she had herself gone through as a little girl. Nizzy's greatest concern, so far, had seemed to be whether or not she could devise a way to access the various baked goods Paul was always placing just out of her reach.

  
  


The sun was setting, and Jodie had just finished cooking supper. She washed and dried her hands, went to the doorway to call in her little family, and instead paused for a moment to take it all in. She wasn't ready to interrupt them just yet. Paul was beating the dust out of some of the horse blankets, and Nizzy was telling him about how she caught a lizard whose tail came off. Cory was pumping well water and laughing at Nizzy's tale. And Jay...Where was he? The arms that wrapped themselves about her from behind answered that question. She felt his warm breath on her neck, just before he kissed it. Right at the nape. A pleasant shiver went up her spine. She melted into him, hands sliding over his. Together they watched their daughter telling the greatest story of her life.


End file.
